


A Dragon's Scale

by Swansae



Category: Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi | Spirited Away
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-21
Updated: 2015-04-21
Packaged: 2018-03-25 04:13:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,092
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3796288
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Swansae/pseuds/Swansae
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is a short scene I wrote for an early draft of Chihiro, which is the main story on my profile. The draft was never completed, but I did write this cute little epilogue. If you are interested in reading this old version of the story, you can find it here: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11173832/1/Chihiro-Old-Version</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Dragon's Scale

Rain. Rain poured down out of the sky as if someone in the heavens had upended a bucket. And for all Chihiro knew, maybe they had. The hot ground steamed as the rain hit it, raising a white mist that obscured the school gate and the trees where Haku had waited for her after school. That seemed like such a long time ago. The wind sprayed rain onto Chihiro's face. The tree shook, raining droplets down. Warm rain. Like a caress. It was summer, and soon the monsoons would begin. This wasn't a monsoon storm, Chihiro could tell. It was still too early in the year. No, this rain was the celebratory dance of the dragons. They had their prince back. The storm would last days, she knew, and the human world would be raised out of its ignorance, if only temporarily. The rain, the wind, she would never look at weather the same way again. She would never learn about air pressure and trade winds without thinking of the dragons, the majestic, noble, passionate creatures she knew and loved. She would never learn about earthquakes and the creation of islands without seeing their beautiful mating dance.   
  
Chihiro gazed out across the grassy expanse from under her tree. It was just the school lawn, but in the mist it seemed like she was seeing Swamp Bottom for the first time. She remembered her frightened heartbeat getting off the train. All the things she had heard about Zeniiba had been true. She is powerful, and dangerous, and knows the power of love and friendship. She remembered the weight of Boh-mouse on her shoulder, facing the world for the very first time, and smiled. Boh would grow up to be someone someday. She would miss him.   
  
The wind danced with the rain, blowing droplets every direction, sometimes cradling it to bring it higher, sometimes chasing the droplets to the ground. No one would be out in this weather. This wind would snatch umbrellas and sneak up raincoats, but Chihiro didn’t mind getting wet to the bone. How could she, when her friend was a prince of water dragons. She leaned against the tree and stared at the sky, imagining him walking through the mist; his royal kimono would be billowing in this wind, the way his tail did in flight. His hair would be wet, but the water wouldn’t weigh it down. It would be streaming, too, unlike Chihiro’s, which was plastered to her skin. And his olive-green eyes, which were sometimes still cold and unfeeling from his time grieving, would be sparkling and soft with a smile.

For just a moment, there was a white shimmer against the dark storm clouds, and an apparition appeared out of the mist where the school gate was hidden. It walked toward her, every inch the way she had imagined. Chihiro sat there watching the vision come closer, until it had settled down next to her, leaning against the tree with her, staring into the sky with her. She closed her eyes, not talking, not moving, not wanting the vision to end. She knew why he had come, and wished that he had not. She wished it was just a fantasy, a figment of an imagination that missed Haku so much it hurt to think about him, to think about what they couldn’t have.

She felt an arm around her shoulders. It had been so long since he’d had the time to do that, what with court duties and greeting guests. He was so warm. Chihiro leaned into his chest. At times like these, she could almost believe that he was human. But of course, he was not. That was a barrier that could never be surpassed. Not just the one of human and spirit, which might be surpassed at death, but the one of two different species. He pulled her closer, and rested his cheek on her hair. They both knew what had to be said, and so said nothing. They just wanted the moment to last.

But moments never last forever.

“I’m really going to miss you,” he said softly.

She refused to turn and look at him. It was silly, she knew, and she would regret it once he left, but it hurt too much to look at him now.

“It seems like every time we meet, we have to say good-bye again.”

“But next time we meet, we won’t be strangers.”

Now she turned to look at him. He was standing up. He pulled her to her feet.

“You mean I’ll see you again?”

“Of course!” He looked surprised. “Whatever gave you the idea that we wouldn’t?”

“But you’re a prince and you’re busy and we don’t live in the same world…” Haku cut her off by pulling her into a tight hug.

“Chihiro, I love you,” he said, holding her. “How could I just let you go?”

“But…I’m not a dragon,” Chihiro said to the space above his shoulder. Haku didn’t reply. “…you don’t mind that I’m a human?”

Haku pulled out of the hug, holding her shoulders the way he always did when he reassured her, and held her gaze. “Do you mind that I’m a dragon?” he asked. He already knew the answer, but wanted to make sure that Chihiro knew it, too. Chihiro shook her head mutely.

“Good,” he said, and smiled. He smoothed her wet hair back out of her eyes behind her ears, and placed his hands on the sides of her face. Chihiro closed her eyes as he stepped toward her. She felt his kiss, soft and hesitant at first, and then he drew closer and pressed her body to his and kissed her passionately for a full minute…

Too soon, Haku pulled away. With a sad smile, he ran a hand through his hair and opened it to show Chihiro a smooth white scale. He held it out to her.

“To remember me by.”

She took it and slipped it into her pocket. One last hug, and Haku reluctantly pulled away. He didn’t walk away into the mist, nor did he fly off into the clouds. He only stood there, staring at Chihiro, taking in as much of her with his eyes as he could, and melted into the rain.

Chihiro stared at the place where Haku became the rain for a very long time before she headed home. As she walked, she pulled the scale out of her pocket.

It was as smooth and cool as a river stone, and shimmered like mother-of-pearl. 


End file.
